US Vogue August 2014 : Blake Lively by Mario Testino

[A.D.C.]

It amazes me how little White actresses need to accomplish to land a Vogue cover compared to their Black counterparts. Pretty much every Black actress or singer who's gotten a Vogue cover has had an Oscar nomination, an Oscar win or a Grammy accompanied by global success. That Blake's biggest achievement is a stint on Gossip Girls speaks volumes. I mean she has never gotten any sort of nomination for her acting-- no Emmy, no golden globe, not even a MTV movie award.

I'm sorry but I HATE when people make this argument against Anna because it's more a problem with Hollywood than Vogue. What "deserving" black actress of the moment hasn't gotten a cover yet? I can think of only Kerry Washington( whom I'm sure will get one) and Zoe Saldana. Anna has shown time and again her willingness to put black celebrities on the cover and has often thought outside the Hollywood box since she doesn't really get enough options from them. Oprah, Michelle Obama, hell even Marion jones and Lebron James and like you said the minute a black actress does pass that Alist threshold she's almost guaranteed a cover. Halle even landed September and lupita got hers mere months after her oscar.

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Totally boring, i can't believe than her got the game promoting nothing.

 

[dior_couture1245]

I think the idea of "deserving" a magazine cover is also semi-ludicrous, but there is something to be said about who does / doesn't resonate with the readership of a magazine. If the subject sells well and is appreciated by people picking up the magazine it makes sense even if the person wears mostly burlap sacks and hasn't done much of anything.

Agreed.

Who really cares. She got the cover. What's done is done. What do you expect from US Vogue? This whole argument of DESERVING a cover is the silliest thing I've ever heard and reading through every US Vogue thread and reading the same comments of the cover star not deserving their cover over and over again is so ridiculous!

What you really should be complaining about it is the horrific photography of Mario Testino...now that is truly offensive!

 

[Hchloe]

I'm sorry but I HATE when people make this argument against Anna because it's more a problem with Hollywood than Vogue. What "deserving" black actress of the moment hasn't gotten a cover yet? I can think of only Kerry Washington( whom I'm sure will get one) and Zoe Saldana. Anna has shown time and again her willingness to put black celebrities on the cover and has often thought outside the Hollywood box since she doesn't really get enough options from them. Oprah, Michelle Obama, hell even Marion jones and Lebron James and like you said the minute a black actress does pass that Alist threshold she's almost guaranteed a cover. Halle even landed September and lupita got hers mere months after her oscar.

That's not the point. All those poeple you mentioned are very successful and established. To be black and get a Vogue cover, you have to be the creme de la creme. A white starlet can be vaguely famous and unaccomplished, but as long as she's pretty and fashionable she can easily get a cover. Basically, if you're not white you'll have to work 100 times harder to get the same recognition as your white peers.

 

[dior_couture1245]

I'm sorry but I HATE when people make this argument against Anna because it's more a problem with Hollywood than Vogue. What "deserving" black actress of the moment hasn't gotten a cover yet? I can think of only Kerry Washington( whom I'm sure will get one) and Zoe Saldana. Anna has shown time and again her willingness to put black celebrities on the cover and has often thought outside the Hollywood box since she doesn't really get enough options from them. Oprah, Michelle Obama, hell even Marion jones and Lebron James and like you said the minute a black actress does pass that Alist threshold she's almost guaranteed a cover. Halle even landed September and lupita got hers mere months after her oscar.

Haven't you heard? Internet PC policing is the new black?

 

[pixiedust1603]

I'm sorry but I HATE when people make this argument against Anna because it's more a problem with Hollywood than Vogue. What "deserving" black actress of the moment hasn't gotten a cover yet? I can think of only Kerry Washington( whom I'm sure will get one) and Zoe Saldana. Anna has shown time and again her willingness to put black celebrities on the cover and has often thought outside the Hollywood box since she doesn't really get enough options from them. Oprah, Michelle Obama, hell even Marion jones and Lebron James and like you said the minute a black actress does pass that Alist threshold she's almost guaranteed a cover. Halle even landed September and lupita got hers mere months after her oscar.

As you alluded to, it's only when black actresses, musicians, and atheletes achieve something akin to an Oscar nomination or become Olympians that they are given Vogue covers. Yet here is Blake Lively who has never really been praised as an actress with her third Vogue cover promoting a website.

 

[kewkaw]

hate her smile

 

[kokobombon]

A forgotten actress promoting her internet site... this should be an Elle cover or any other magazine but Vogue imo
The pose on the cover reads wrong but on Testino´s defense, he always choose very interesting settings.

 

[lawaldorf]

I think the shoot is really nice and she looks fresh. I also couldn't help myself and read the interview; I didn't know what to expect from someone who collects Ikea catalog clippings and thinks curating people's lives through the internet is "without a genre" but I definitely should have expected it.

It still is a really nice editorial.

 

[A.D.C.]

That's not the point. All those poeple you mentioned are very successful and established. To be black and get a Vogue cover, you have to be the creme de la creme. A white starlet can be vaguely famous and unaccomplished, but as long as she's pretty and fashionable she can easily get a cover. Basically, if you're not white you'll have to work 100 times harder to get the same recognition as your white peers.

Well ain't that what Vogue is about? So maybe instead of arguing for them to lower their black standards the argument should be that they raise their white standards and maybe in that world Amy, Julianne, or Jessica with their combined 11 Oscar nods would have been on the cover. That's the real injustice of this issue and what a glorious cover that would have been with all three of them! and about working harder than your peers, tell that to Amy, how many more Oscar nods will she have to get to land even one cover?

 

[GlamorousBoy]

I really dont get this Brokeback Mountain cover...

 

[Kite]

I like this. Its cute and she is undeniably beautiful.

 

[Kite]

1: The Chanel Paris/Dallas collection was made for her. and this.

2: The picture of her in the Chanel feather gown would have made a better cover.

3: .....and the editorial is strangely similar in some elements to the Taylor Swift Testino did in feb 2012....

vogue.com

 

[VogueDisciple93]

Uggggghhhhhh!

 

[elle_gb]

She is beautiful but to be on the cover is so randomly,there are tons of people who are far more interesting an qualify to be on the cover.

 

[kimair]

I think the idea of "deserving" a magazine cover is also semi-ludicrous, but there is something to be said about who does / doesn't resonate with the readership of a magazine. If the subject sells well and is appreciated by people picking up the magazine it makes sense even if the person wears mostly burlap sacks and hasn't done much of anything.

However, if the subject really doesn't sell well (Blake's last two issues were worst sellers) isn't doing anything relevant and isn't much liked by the readers then why exactly should they be on the cover? Granted it goes back to the whims of editors, but damn someone at Vogue is either really obsessed with Gossip Girl, or is repaying a blood debt to the Lively family.


And I say this as someone who likes Blake.

this exactly. i don't believe in the idea of deserving a cover, but truth be told, there are women out there if you look at their accomplishments, clearly they are successful in the eyes of their industry and should receive more editorial coverage...

how do you know a cover with amy adams, et. al. wouldn't sell? don't know unless you try. what you do know is that blake's covers are duds...

 

[Fotoholic24]

I love the cover, she may not be THAT of an actress, BUT she loves FASHION...

°She does not have a stylist, she pick her outfit herself because she wants to (fashion magazine anyone?)
°She was the face of Chanel
°Gucci girl
°Lóreal girl
°Karl, Louboutin, Frida and Kors lovs her
°She was THE one to watch at Cannes... and she was not promoting any movie!

Blake IS involved with fashion. An that is all that she needs to be on a fashion magazine cover!

 

[eneroenero]

Mario is so boring now, miss his work from the 90's !

 

[MyNameIs]

Why?

I actually like the cover. It's better than her first one. But the cover choice is only marginally better than Kim Kardashian was.

 

[Thefrenchy]

I don't know Blake is harmless and she looks lovely in that spread. Plus, it's the August issue so who gives a damn, really... My main issue is that I thought the Blake's past issues didn't sell too well, wonder how this one will do...